The Milwaukee Bucks have overgone a Herculean amount of growth over the last decade.
In 2013, the Milwaukee Bucks finished the season with a record of 15-67. The first season of Giannis Antetokounmpo’s career was not filled with the expectations of winning we have today in 2023. There are several people who we have to thank for the fact that the Milwaukee Bucks are not only perennial contenders in the NBA but are also a recent NBA Finals champion.
Honorable Mentions: General Manager Jon Horst and former Head Coach Mike Budenholzer.
In the summer of 2017, John Hammond, the man who drafted Giannis, left Milwaukee for the Orlando Magic. Jon Horst, who had been with the Milwaukee Bucks as the Director of Basketball Operations since 2008, took his place. Following this promotion, the Milwaukee Bucks began a very fast rise from an upstart young team to a contender. Horst won an Executive of the Year award in the 2018-19 season when the Milwaukee Bucks finished with the best record in the NBA, thanks in part to the new head coach Horst brought in: Mike Budenholzer.
As for Mike Budenholzer, the Milwaukee Bucks won 60 games in his first season as head coach. Going from Jason Kidd to Budenholzer opened the Milwaukee Bucks offense in a big way and began the “let it fly” era in Milwaukee. The Milwaukee Bucks were first in points per game, second in pace, fourth in offensive rating, and first in net rating. These were all massive improvements from the previous season and took the Bucks from the seventh seed in the 2017-18 season to the number one seed in the Eastern Conference in Budenholzer’s first season.
The Milwaukee Bucks would ultimately lose to the eventual champion Toronto Raptors in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Mike Budenholzer did have his fingerprints all over the Milwaukee Bucks championship two years later, however, putting players in positions to eliminate the Atlanta Hawks in the 2021 Eastern Conference Finals despite playing the final two games without Giannis Antetokounmpo due to a hyperextended knee.
Also, in the NBA Finals, the tide turned Milwaukee’s way when Budenholzer adjusted to having Jrue Holiday pick up Chris Paul full court defensively as opposed to picking him up at half court. The adjustment took the Milwaukee Bucks from an 0-2 hole to a gentleman’s sweep in the finals, and the performances from players who will show up later on this list became legendary.
Who made the Milwaukee Bucks into contenders: #5: Eric Bledsoe
Eric Bledsoe was acquired from the Phoenix Suns for Greg Monroe, a second-round pick, and a first-round pick. Bledsoe gave the Milwaukee Bucks an edge at point guard they hadn’t had in a long time. Brandon Knight had his moments, and Michael Carter-Williams was better in theory than in practice, but Eric Bledsoe gave the Milwaukee Bucks a true two-way weapon at the point guard position, and his rise coincided with the rise of the Milwaukee Bucks.
Bledsoe was acquired at the beginning of the 2017-18 season and played 71 games for the Bucks that season; they finished seventh in the Eastern Conference. The Bucks got off to a 23-22 start, and Jason Kidd was fired. Joe Prunty (now back on the Bucks staff) became the interim coach, and the Milwaukee Bucks were better but didn’t advance out of the first round of the playoffs. The Milwaukee Bucks did take the Boston Celtics, the two seed, to seven games, putting some extra eyes on the team and making them a more attractive destination for head coaching candidates with a young, budding team. Eric Bledsoe was part of that group.
In Bledsoe’s first season with the Bucks, he scored 17.8 points, dished 5.1 assists, and grabbed 3.9 rebounds per game. Bledsoe did this while shooting 47.6 percent from the field and just under 35 percent on 3-point shots. Bledsoe also had the second-highest defensive win shares on the team behind just Giannis Antetokounmpo, per NBA.com/stats.
Bledsoe’s role would continue to shrink in the years following, and he would become part of a trade that propelled the Bucks to their first championship in 50 years.
Who made the Milwaukee Bucks into contenders: #4: Brook Lopez
Brook Lopez’s arrival in Milwaukee happened the same off-season as Mike Budenholzer. The Bucks then had themselves a defensive anchor and a player who had been known as a paint dominator but had reinvented himself as a floor-spacing big man. His play style fit perfectly alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo because opposing big men had to pay attention to Lopez outside of the 3-point line, opening driving lanes for Giannis.
Brook Lopez has been a part of five seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks and has averaged 13.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks per game. Lopez has shot 48.2 percent from the field and 35.1 percent from behind the 3-point line. He has shot a very reliable 82.5 percent from the free-throw line.
Arguably the biggest mark that Brook Lopez made was his monstrous Game 5 against the Atlanta Hawks in the 2021 Eastern Conference Finals, a game that the Milwaukee Bucks played without Giannis Antetokounmpo. Lopez scored 33 points in Antetokounmpo’s absence. Brook Lopez added seven rebounds and four blocks to go with his 33-point outburst. Lopez was insanely efficient, shooting 14-of-18 from the field. Lopez missed the only two 3-point shots he attempted and made 5-of-7 free throws, and the Milwaukee Bucks emerged with a 123-112 victory.
However, Brook Lopez had a signature moment in the series before against the Brooklyn Nets that helped the Milwaukee Bucks get to the Eastern Conference Finals in the first place. The Milwaukee Bucks and Brooklyn Nets went to overtime in Game 7 of the series in Brooklyn. With the game tied at 111, Kevin Durant had what looked to be a wide-open layup. Brook Lopez blocked the shot with under a minute to go.
The Nets got the rebound off the blocked shot, Joe Harris missed a 3-pointer, and the rebound was collected by none other than Brook Lopez. Khris Middleton made a mid-range jump shot, and the Bucks would get two more free throws from Brook Lopez to finalize a 115-111 victory over the super-team Nets to head to the Eastern Conference Finals. Lopez finished Game 7 with 19 points, eight rebounds, and four blocks.
Who made the Milwaukee Bucks contenders: #3: Jrue Holiday
As previously mentioned, Eric Bledsoe gave the Milwaukee Bucks a two-way weapon at point guard and was eventually included in the trade for Jrue Holiday. Holiday represented a massive upgrade from Bledsoe on both ends of the court. He is known around the NBA as one of the hardest guards to go against defensively and a player capable of scoring 20-30 points every night.
Jrue Holiday arrived in Milwaukee and gave the Bucks a legit Big 3 ( Big 4 if you include Brook Lopez). Holiday’s first season with the Milwaukee Bucks was the 2020-21 season, and he made an instant impact, scoring 17.7 points, passing 6.1 assists, grabbing 4.5 rebounds, and snagging 1.6 steals per game while shooting 50.3 percent from the field, 39.2 percent from the 3-point line and 78.7 percent from the free throw line.
Jrue Holiday arrived, and the Milwaukee Bucks won their first NBA Title in 50 years. Holiday was a huge part of the journey and the destination. In the previously mentioned Game 5 against the Atlanta Hawks without Giannis Antetokounmpo, Brook Lopez wasn’t the only player who had a signature performance. Holiday turned in a 25-point-13-assist double-double. The most impressive part of the double-double by Holiday was the fact that he only had two turnovers to go with his 13 assists.
Holiday was also part of one of the greatest plays in NBA history. In the NBA Finals against the Phoenix Suns, with the Milwaukee Bucks leading 120-119 with 16 seconds to play in Game 5, Devin Booker drove and Jrue Holiday met him at the spot, stole the ball, dribbled the ball up the court, and threw a lob to Giannis Antetokounmpo, who threw down the dunk despite being pushed by Chris Paul and finished arguably the greatest play in Milwaukee Bucks history: The Valley Oop. The play still induces chills just thinking about it, and re-watching it still gives the same amazing feeling as the day it happened.
Jrue Holiday, in his most recent season with the Milwaukee Bucks, got himself back to the All-Star game by having arguably his best regular season as a Buck, averaging 19.3 points, 7.4 assists, and 5.1 rebounds per game, all-season highs in Milwaukee. Holiday also shot a career-high 85.9 percent from the free-throw line. Jrue Holiday, without a doubt, helped make the Milwaukee Bucks a contender.
Who made the Milwaukee Bucks into contenders: #2: Khris Middleton
Khris Middleton, like the obvious number one on this list, has been around since the Milwaukee Bucks were an NBA bottom-feeder. However, Khris Middleton just kept getting better and better as his years in Milwaukee progressed.
Middleton was a throw-in player in the Brandon for Brandon trade with the Detroit Pistons way back in 2013 when the Bucks sent Brandon Jennings to the Pistons for Brandon Knight. Middleton would be far and away the most important part of the deal in just a few year’s time.
Khris Middleton is a three-time All-Star and an integral part of the Milwaukee Bucks’ Big 3. When healthy, he is among the league’s best mid-range shooters and can be a jump-shooting assassin.
Khris Middleton seems to thrive against the Boston Celtics in the NBA playoffs. According to Stat Muse, Khris Middleton averages 22.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game against the Celtics in the playoffs while shooting 51.6 percent from the field, 54.5 percent from the free throw line, and 84.6 percent from the free throw line.
This alone doesn’t make him part of the reason the Bucks are contenders, but Middleton has turned in some signature moments against the Celtics, like making a half-court heave to send the Bucks and Celtics to overtime in Game 1 in 2018.
Khris Middleton put together some incredible performances during the Milwaukee Bucks’ title run in 2021. Going all the way back to the opening series against the Miami Heat, Khris Middleton made the game-winning shot in overtime of Game 1 that set the tone for the sweep of the series. Following the Miami series, Khris Middleton turned in some career-defining performances against the Brooklyn Nets in the seven-game series slugfest.
The Milwaukee Bucks started the series down 0-2, and neither team could get the lid of the basket in Game 3, a game that ended 86-83. Khris Middleton, however, could get through the rough shooting by both teams. He scored a game-high 35 points on 12-of-25 shooting, including 3-of-6 behind the 3-point line, and made 8-of-9 free throws. Perhaps more impressively, he also led Game 3 in rebounds with 15!
Khris Middleton turned in another signature performance in Game 6 with the Milwaukee Bucks facing elimination. Middleton led both teams in scoring again with 38 points on 11-of-16 shooting, including 5-of-8 behind the 3-point line, and made 11-of-12 free throws while grabbing 10 rebounds, dishing five assists, and snagging five steals.
In Game 7 against the Nets, Middleton perfectly complemented Giannis Antetokounmpo’s 40-point game with 23 points of his own to go with another 10 rebounds, six assists, and five steals in a back-and-forth game that included some clutch overtime shots by Middleton.
Against the Atlanta Hawks, Khris Middleton turned in more all-time performances. Another 38-point outburst in Game 3 to go with 11 rebounds and seven assists. Game 5 against Atlanta saw great performances from Brook Lopez, Jrue Holiday, and Khris Middleton. Middleton scored 26 points, grabbed 13 rebounds, and passed out eight assists.
Khris Middleton focused his efforts on scoring to close out the Hawks, dropping a game-high 32 points in the clinching game and helping send the Milwaukee Bucks to the NBA Finals in Game 6.
In the NBA Finals, he scored 29 points in the Bucks’ Game 1 loss and had a quiet Game 2 and 3 before exploding for a 40-point outburst in Game 4 that evened the series 2-2. In addition to his 40 points, Middleton also had six rebounds, four assists, and a pair of steals. Middleton followed that performance with 29 points, seven rebounds, and five assists in Game 5, aiding the Bucks in taking a 3-2 series lead and giving way to one of the greatest performances in NBA Finals history by Giannis Antetokounmpo in Game 6. Middleton still scored 17 efficient points, had five rebounds, five assists, and four steals, still with his fingerprints all over the Finals clinching victory.
Who made the Milwaukee Bucks contenders: #1: Giannis Antetokounmpo
There was absolutely no doubt who number one on this list would be. Giannis Antetokounmpo and his work ethic have had massive impacts on the Milwaukee Bucks’ rise to power. His rise in the ranks of the NBA’s best players perfectly correlated with how seriously the Milwaukee Bucks were taken as contenders.
The 2019 playoffs threw a wrench into the Milwaukee Bucks’ contention when Giannis clashed with Kawhi Leonard, and Leonard got the best of Giannis and the Bucks on the route to winning an NBA Championship with the Toronto Raptors.
However, the hunger within Giannis Antetokounmpo was, and is to this day, apparent. The Milwaukee Bucks were part of a weird 2020 season that was marked by tons of events outside the control of the team. Then, in 2021, the Milwaukee Bucks acquired Jrue Holiday, and they went on to win the NBA Finals.
Giannis Antetokounmpo put on a ton of incredible performances, starting with the opening series sweep of the Miami Heat in 2021. He had a double-double in all four games, averaging 23.5 points, 15 rebounds, and 7.8 assists in the series.
Then Giannis and the Bucks met Kevin Durant and the Nets in round two, a head-to-head for the ages. Antetokounmpo averaged 31.9 points and 12.9 rebounds. He put together some amazing performances, having 34 points in a Game 1 loss, 33 points and 14 rebounds in the low-scoring Game 3, and 34 points and 12 rebounds in the series-tying Game 4. In Game 6 against the Nets, Middleton dazzled, and Giannis complemented him perfectly with 30 points and 17 rebounds. Starting a trend of massive performances in close-out games, Giannis Antetokounmpo dropped 40 points in Game 7 with 13 rebounds and five assists.
Giannis Antetokounmpo was having a great series against the Atlanta Hawks. In the Game 1 loss, he scored 34 points and added 12 rebounds, nine assists, two steals, and two blocks. In the Game 2 win, he scored 25 points and added nine rebounds, six assists, and two steals. Game 3 was more of the same, with 33 points, 11 rebounds, four assists, two steals, and a block.
Then, in Game 4, with the Bucks down 10 and seven minutes remaining in the third quarter, Giannis Antetokounmpo hyperextended his knee and missed the final two games of the series. Up to the point of the injury, Giannis had tallied 14 points, eight rebounds, and three assists and could have helped the Bucks come from behind to win.
That is exactly what he did in the NBA Finals. The Milwaukee Bucks were behind 2-0 leaving Phoenix. In two games, the Bucks got beat by double digits in both. Giannis scored 20 points and had 17 rebounds in Game 1 and put up 42 and 12 rebounds in Game 2, but the Bucks were heading home to Milwaukee needing to come from behind in the series.
The Milwaukee Bucks won Game 3 convincingly 120-100, thanks in large part to Giannis scoring 41 points, grabbing 13 rebounds, and handing out six assists. Game 4 was the Khris Middleton takeover, and Giannis played Robin for one game to perfection, complementing Middleton’s 40-point game with 26 points of his own as well as 14 rebounds, eight assists, three steals, and two blocks. This game also featured Giannis Antetokounmpo making one of the most legendary defensive plays in NBA history to block a lob from Devin Booker to Deandre Ayton with the game hanging in the balance. Heading back to Phoenix, the Bucks had tied the series.
In Game 5 in Phoenix, Giannis led the Bucks’ Big 3, who all scored 27 or more points, with 32 points, nine rebounds and six assists. Giannis scored 12 of his 32 in the 4th quarter of Game 5. As previously mentioned with Jrue Holiday, Giannis was on the receiving end of the Valley Oop, arguably the greatest play not only in Milwaukee Bucks history but in NBA Finals history. The steal, the lob, the finish, the foul, an absolutely amazing play. The Milwaukee Bucks took a 3-2 lead and a chance to win the Finals in front of their home crowd back in Milwaukee.
Then Giannis Antetokounmpo does even more in Game 6! Giannis Antetokounmpo saved his best performance for last, dropping just the seventh 50-point game in NBA Finals history, and in a close-out game, no less! In addition to his 50 points, Giannis added 14 rebounds in what I think is fair to call the greatest individual performance in Milwaukee Bucks history.
Giannis made 16-of-25 field goals and 17-of-19 free throws to propel the Milwaukee Bucks to their first NBA championship in 50 years. The Milwaukee Bucks are contenders, thanks in massive part to the contributions of Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.